In terms of AMC’s scripted programming, Hell on Wheels is probably at the bottom of the network’s shows. Rarely is Hell on Wheels flat-out bad, it’s just that too often it’s so bland, and doesn’t really go anywhere. But every once in a while, Hell on Wheels pulls out an episode that shows just how fantastic this show could be. Often these great episodes center on a character who is close to Cullen Bohannan and dying, as in earlier this season with “Elam Ferguson,” and last week’s “Bleeding Kansas”—where the stakes of Sydney Snow’s death escalated the entire show. But maybe the series’ most effective death so far is in “Thirteen Steps,” with the loss of Ruth.
Now this is a well that Hell on Wheels has gone to before. The entire series started with Cullen losing his wife and seeking vengeance, and with the death of Lily Bell, we saw the pain of lost love and its effect on Bohannan. But with Ruth, it’s far more interesting, as so much of their relationship had gone unspoken. Both loved each other, yet they were both too afraid to say it before time was up.
Hell on Wheels is at its best when it keeps the stories simple, and, for the most part, Season Four has stuck with that. Gone are the days of gigantic railroad wars or the Hell on Wheels camp fighting against the Native Americans. This season has been much more about personal rivalries, and it’s been better for it. Last week “Bleeding Kansas” kept things simple with the death of Sydney, and this continues with “Thirteen Steps.”
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